


For The First Time In Forever

by WulfenOne



Series: Steel Reign [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: F/F, Flashback, Fluff, Romance, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 03:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9697457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WulfenOne/pseuds/WulfenOne
Summary: With the Institute vanquished, Piper and Rachel are finally able to have an uninterrupted night on the town, but Rachel has something specific in mind.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place between the end of the game and Atom's Glow. Just some short fluff for Valentine's Day :)

   From the outside, the Dugout Inn sounded busier than usual, although Rachel wasn’t sure if that was really the case or if her nerves were just getting the better of her. She had spent the better part of an hour inside her house in Diamond City just trying to work out if she really could pull off the blue, sequin-encrusted dress and high heels she had chosen to wear for the evening, not to mention wondering if she needed to cover up the freshly-inked Brotherhood tattoo on her shoulder. Standing in front of a mirror for so long had proven more stressful than she remembered – but then again, this _was_ the first actual, real date she’d been on for over two hundred and twelve years, so she supposed she was allowed at least a few jitters, all things considered. In the end she had settled for the dress and a short blue jacket over the top of it, and hoped that her company for the evening wouldn’t think she looked too ridiculous.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the Dugout’s heavy door and walked towards the bar, where Vadim was standing pouring out shots of vodka for the two off-duty security guards sitting on rickety stools in front of him, refilling their glasses as and when they demanded it, which was often. 

“Evening, Vadim,” she said as she squeezed her way up to the bar. “Who’s a girl got to bribe to get a drink around here?”

“Ha! Good to see you again, my friend!” Vadim exclaimed, a distinct look of gratitude at being able to separate himself from the increasingly-raucous security men sweeping across his face as he did so. “What can I get you?”

“The usual,” Rachel replied, placing a handful of bottle caps on the bar. “And I’ll have another for my friend. She’ll be along soon, I hope.”

“Ah, you mean Miss Piper!” Vadim said with a chuckle as he filled two glasses with generous measures of vodka and Nuka-Cola. “Then this is a date, am I right?”

Rachel blinked in surprise. “What? No, we’re just hanging out tonight. Now that the Institute’s gone we both finally get to have some actual time off.”

“Please do not insult my intelligence,” Vadim retorted, only half-jokingly. “You think nobody has noticed the two of you spending so much time together? Diamond City is a small place, smaller than it looks, and a person does not get dressed up like that just to ‘hang out’. You are trying to impress somebody, and I think it is obvious who that person is. So this _is_ a date, yes?”

“It… might be,” Rachel conceded grudgingly, and Vadim clapped his hands with excitement.

“I knew it!” he said, snapping his fingers. “When Miss Wright arrives I will make sure you get real seats, not these piece of shit bar stools. What kind of host would I be if I did not?”

“You’re a peach, Vadim,” Rachel said, pulling one side of her mouth upwards into a wry smile. “I owe you one.”

“Nonsense,” Vadim said, waving a hand dismissively. “You owe me nothing. What are friends for?”

“I’ll drink to that,” Rachel agreed, raising her glass to him in respect before taking a sip. The home-brewed vodka seared her throat with a reassuring fire, its bruising alcoholic texture blending pleasantly with the fruity, vigorous flavour of the Nuka-Cola with which it was sharing its glass. She turned on her stool to scan the room for a moment, watching the patrons of the crowded bar as they chattered to each other indistinctly and automatically trying to pick out which of them was most likely to be the most troublesome. It was a bad habit she’d picked up from Danse, who never seemed to be off his guard even when there was no immediate danger to be found, but it had saved her life more than once. 

Then she saw Piper coming through the bar’s doorway, not sporting her trademark leather coat and beat-up press cap. Instead, she wore an ankle-length red dress that clung closely to her hips, and had put a single flower blossom in her dark hair, which she had tied back with a bright red ribbon.

_I guess Fallon’s Basement must have got good business from both of us,_ Rachel thought wryly as Piper made her way up to the bar, drawing surprised looks and hushed murmurs of disbelief from several patrons. “Hey, Pipes,” Rachel said as Piper joined her at the bar. “You look great, you know. That outfit really suits you.”

“Thanks, Blue, but I still feel pretty ridiculous,” Piper said with a sigh. “I haven’t worn a dress since I was fifteen – they don’t exactly suit the life of a reporter in the Commonwealth. Too restrictive.” She gestured at her head. “Plus, my hair feels kinda weird without my hat.”

“Well, I think it looks cute,” Rachel said, before she handed Piper her drink. “Here, I already ordered a drink for you – I hope it’s what you wanted.” After Piper had taken the glass, Rachel gently clinked her own against it. “Cheers,” she said, with a small smile.

“Cheers,” Piper agreed before she took a large mouthful of her drink. “Now, you want to tell me why you wanted us both to get dressed up like this?”

“I just wanted our first date to be special,” Rachel said simply. “Something we’d both remember.”

Piper raised an eyebrow. “First date? I think we moved past that a long time ago, didn’t we?”

“Maybe, but we never really got to go on a real night out while we were… otherwise occupied. I wanted us to have a proper getting-to-know-each-other evening, so I thought we could play a little game.”

“‘ _Game’_?” Piper repeated, scepticism dripping thickly off the word. “What kind of ‘game’ are we talking about here?”

“You sit where you are,” Rachel began, “and then I go over to the other side of the bar and come over like it’s the first time I’ve ever seen you, and we talk like we don’t know each other at all – like we’re just finding out about each other for the first time.” She shrugged. “I thought it might be fun.”

“Not convinced this’ll work, Blue, but I’ll give it a go anyway,” Piper said, frowning. “You know me, I’ll try anything once.”

“See, that’s the kind of thing I’m trying to avoid,” Rachel replied, jokingly. “Tonight I want you to be a mystery to me.” She turned to Vadim and said “Now would be a good time to get those seats, please.”

Vadim nodded, and promptly proceeded to busily usher the sofa’s current residents away, despite their loud protests (which oddly became much quieter after an offer of free drinks), so that Piper could sit down. She placed her drink on the table in front of her, taking a look across the room to where Rachel was standing and briefly locking her eyes with hers before deliberately directing her gaze towards the other side of the room. Five minutes passed, until Rachel finally appeared at the side of the chair, her hands encircling her glass. “Good evening, miss,” she said politely. “Is this seat taken?”

“Well, that depends, stranger,” Piper replied, showily examining her nails. “Are you looking for a friend, a story or a hired gun? In this town you can never be sure which is which, after all.”

“A story would be good,” Rachel said. “May I sit down?”

“You may,” Piper said, before savouring a mouthful of her drink. “So what can I do for a member of the Brotherhood of Steel?”

“What makes you think I’m a member of the Brotherhood of Steel?” Rachel said, genuinely intrigued.

“Believe it or not, I _have_ been around the Brotherhood before,” Piper explained, “and you just have the same type of ‘take no prisoners’ look about you. Besides, very few ordinary people have the same kind of physique as you Brotherhood types – most of us poor Commonwealth folks just don’t get fed as regularly as you people do. Last night all I had to eat was mole-rat on a stick. What did you eat? A banquet, I bet.”

“Actually I just had some mole-rat too,” Rachel replied. “I was out on manoeuvres with a… friend.”

“Oh?” Piper said. “And here I thought Brotherhood regulations didn’t let you have friends, just battle-brothers.”

“Actually it was a battle- _sister_ ,” Rachel said with a shrug. “Believe it or not, the Brotherhood is an equal-opportunity employer. As long as you can pick up a laser rifle and follow orders, you’re welcome into our ranks any time you like.”

“Sorry, soldier, I don’t do that whole ‘following orders’ thing very well,” Piper chuckled. “The mayor of this town knows that all too well, believe me.” She stuck out a hand. “Piper Wright, Publick Occurrences. No story too big, no stone left unturned.”

“Sentinel Rachel Adams, Eastern division of the Brotherhood of Steel. Pleased to meet you, Miss Wright,” Rachel said, taking Piper’s hand before raising it to her lips and gently kissing it, enjoying the sight of Piper’s cheeks going a pretty shade of pink as she did so. “So you’re from around here, I take it?”

“Not… not originally,” Piper said, suddenly sounding flustered. “Long story short, I grew up in the wasteland until my dad died and my mom left, and then my baby sister Nat and I travelled for a while before we found ourselves here, and we just sort of wound up putting down roots without even noticing. Nat made some friends at school and I started a paper, and then, well, here we are, years later, happy citizens of the ‘Great Green Jewel’. What about you?”

“I didn’t have a very exciting childhood, I’m afraid,” Rachel said, shrugging again. “I grew up in a town called Sanctuary Hills, a few days’ travel to the north. If you ask me, I think whoever’s in charge has really let it go – it used to look a lot nicer then than it does now, that’s for sure.”

“Hey, that’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Piper reassured her. “Most places look like garbage dumps these days.” Piper paused, digging around in her pockets before bringing out a battered metal case. Opening it, she selected one of the cigarettes it contained and was just about to put it between her lips before she caught Rachel staring at her. “Oh, excuse me,” she said, once more looking supremely embarrassed. “You don’t mind if I smoke, do you?”

“As long as you don’t blow it in my face, feel free,” Rachel told her.

“Thanks,” Piper said, looking relieved. “I haven’t had a smoke break all day; I was almost starting to get the shakes.” She flicked open her lighter before applying the flame to the end of her cigarette, which glowed bright red as she inhaled deeply. She held it for a moment and then let out two billowing rings of smoke, blowing a long plume directly through both of them before they dissipated. “Party trick,” she said simply. “I like to think it helps to break the ice, you know? Makes me seem like the ‘fun’ type.”

“I don’t know,” Rachel pondered, tapping her cheek with a fingertip. “I thought you looked pretty fun already.”

Piper laughed. “Just wait until I show you what I can do with a deck of cards and a couple of beer bottles. Then you’ll think I’m _really_ fun.”

“That does sound interesting,” Rachel said. “What does your boyfriend think of it?”

“I wouldn’t know; I don’t have a boyfriend,” Piper replied, before taking another slow drag on her cigarette.

“Husband, then?”

“Don’t have one of those either.”

“Oh, now you’re just yanking my chain, Miss Wright,” Rachel exclaimed. “Surely a pretty woman like you must have boys following her around all the time?”

“Once or twice after I first moved here, yeah,” Piper conceded, “but when they realised I wasn’t interested, they stopped sending me bouquets.” She laughed at the memory. “Good thing, too – the inside of my house was starting to look like it should have been the outside of my house.”

“Just like that? When did they get the hint?”

“I think it probably happened around the time I showed up here with Carrie, my first honest-to-God Diamond City girlfriend,” Piper said, matter-of-factly. “That made them back off. Most of them, anyway.”

“Carrie? Is she still –“

“Don’t worry, we broke up a long time ago,” Piper finished. “She said it was because of a ‘clash of personalities’, but I’m pretty sure it was really because her parents didn’t approve of an upper-stands girl ‘dating downwards’, so they put a stop to it as quickly as they could.”

“I’m really sorry you had to go through that,” Rachel said, with genuine sympathy. “I’ve had more than a few parents decide I was the ‘wrong girl’ for their precious baby.” 

“That’s kind of you to say,” Piper said, pulling the corner of her lips up in a half-smile, “but I think it was for the best, in the end. After all, if I was still with her, I wouldn’t be here talking to you, would I?”

“I guess that’s one way of looking at it,” Rachel laughed, before she held up her empty glass. “I’m going to get another drink. Would you like a refill?”

Piper shook her head. “Actually I was thinking of heading home. You want to walk me there, soldier? After all, Diamond City can be a pretty dangerous place after dark.”

“So I’ve noticed,” Rachel agreed, before she stood and offered Piper her arm. “Shall we get out of here, then?”

“Gladly.” Piper hooked her arm around Rachel’s elbow then, and the two women headed outside into the cool of the night air, walking through the largely-deserted alleyways where the only really audible sound was Percy, paranoid Myrna’s obedient and jovial Mr Handy, who was busy shilling his store’s goods just as strongly as his owner did during daylight hours. It didn’t take the two women long to reach the rickety shack that constituted the head office of Publick Occurrences, its bright neon sign creating a flickering pool of light on the ground, and as they did so Piper fumbled briefly in her pocket for her house key. It was only a few moments before she found it and unlocked the front door, and then she turned, pointing at the open entrance with her thumb. “Do you want to maybe come in for some coffee? I’m sure I have some lying around somewhere.”

Rachel smiled. “Sure. Coffee sounds good.”

“Come on in, then,” Piper told her, gesturing for her to enter ahead of her, and then she pointed towards the battered sofa against one wall of the room. “Sit yourself down there and I’ll bring us that coffee before you know it.”

“Wait, where’s your sister?” Rachel asked as she slipped out of her jacket and folded it over the back of the chair, playing up the fact that Nat wasn’t around as she knew she wouldn’t be. “I thought she lived with you?”

“She does, but she’s staying with her friends tonight,” Piper explained, setting a filled coffee pot onto her single small hot plate, where it began to bubble gently. “She likes to give me some space sometimes. Does us both some good to spend time apart, you know?”

“Makes sense,” Rachel said. “I know I liked to stay out of my big sister’s way while we were growing up. Kept both of us sane. Mostly sane, anyway.”

Piper laughed. “I’m glad to hear it – the last thing I need in my life is more crazy people.”

“ _More_ crazy people? Is that an occupational hazard in the newspaper industry, then?” Rachel asked.

“That’s an understatement if ever I heard one,” Piper said, her voice suddenly filling with a tangible weariness. “You wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve had somebody put a gun right in my face just because they didn’t like an article I wrote.”

“Sounds pretty stressful,” Rachel pondered. “I bet you’re grateful Diamond City has all this security, then, huh?”

“Security, my ass,” Piper scoffed. “I can handle myself just fine without those idiots getting in the way, thank you very much.”

“You know, I don’t doubt it,” Rachel said, with a wry smile. “I know a survivor when I see one.”

“Being in the military taught you that, right?”

“Partially,” Rachel replied. “My husband was in the army a long time ago, and he came home from the war with PTSD. He was on pretty heavy antidepressants for a long time, but he held it together right up until the day he died, for me and for our son.” She sighed. “I joined up with the Brotherhood to honour that kind of courage. Maybe if I try hard enough I can be that brave one day.”

“Seems to me that just putting on that uniform is brave,” Piper said. “I may not like everything the Brotherhood does, but getting off your ass and fighting for a cause you believe in every day takes guts. I can respect that, at least.” She paused. “You said you have a son? How old is he, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“He’s ten,” Rachel said. “Give or take a few years, anyway.”

“‘Give or take a few years’? That’s a little vague,” Piper replied. “Did you forget his birthday?”

“He’s adopted; I never found out exactly when he was born, so I just picked an age that seemed about right for him,” Rachel explained. “Not that it matters that much. He’s my son, and I love him. That’s what really counts in the end, isn’t it?”

“Couldn’t agree more. Family’s the most important thing in the world,” Piper said, taking the coffee pot off the hot plate and filling two mugs to the brim, before handing Rachel one of the mugs as she came over and sat down on the sofa next to her. “Here’s that coffee I promised. I hope you take it black, though, because I’m fresh out of milk.”

“I’m sure I’ll live,” Rachel laughed, before she took a sip and felt a rich, unique explosion of flavour fill her mouth. It was the best coffee she’d tasted in over a month. “Wow – where did you find this stuff? It’s incredible.”

“Let’s just say I know a guy who knows a guy,” Piper answered simply. “I have to protect my sources, right?”

“Oh, now that’s just not fair,” Rachel said, in a plaintive tone. “Let me take some home with me at least.”

“Well, maybe we could have another cup in the morning?” Piper suggested. “I think it tastes better then, don’t you?”

“Most things do,” Rachel replied, “but why don’t we enjoy it now first?”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Piper said, before she reached up and ran her fingers through Rachel’s hair, easing herself steadily nearer to the other woman as she did so, until she was close enough that Rachel could feel her breath on her skin, making it prickle delicately. “I hate leaving things for too long, don’t you?”

“Very much,” Rachel murmured, before she found Piper’s mouth linking with her own and felt the world melt away in an instant. She raised a hand to caress Piper’s jaw, parting her lips and intertwining their tongues as she eased her down onto the sofa, pinning the smaller woman’s body beneath her. As she did so she felt Piper’s arms snaking around her neck, pulling her closer, moulding their bodies together –

– before Piper abruptly broke the kiss, her cheeks visibly flushed. “I should warn you, soldier,” she whispered, “I don’t do one-night stands.”

“That’s okay,” Rachel replied. “Neither do I.”

 

***

 

Rachel opened her eyes to find Piper lying facing her, her hair tangled and messy. “Morning, sleepyhead,” the reporter said, cupping Rachel’s cheek with one hand before kissing her good morning. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a log,” Rachel answered, rubbing her eyes, her head still feeling a little foggy. “What time is it?”

“Just after nine. You want some breakfast? I have some mole-rat bacon downstairs if you’d like to share.”

“How do you get that stuff so regularly? I almost never see it on sale in the market.”

“I told you, I know a guy who knows a guy,” Piper laughed, tapping the side of her nose. “Very hush-hush.”

“If you say so,” Rachel said, sceptically. “I’ll still take some, though.”

“Coming right up, then,” Piper said as she pushed herself up off the bed and smoothed out her wild hair. “Last night was fun, you know. We should pretend not to know each other more often.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Rachel mused. “Next time _I_ get to be the reporter and _you_ get to be the soldier, though. Deal?”

“Deal,” Piper agreed. “I can totally pull that off.”

“Can we say it’s a date, then?” Rachel asked.

“I guess we can,” Piper said with a smile. “Looking forward to it… stranger.”


End file.
